NAME¶

X11::Protocol::XSetRoot -- set root window background

SYNOPSIS¶

 use X11::Protocol::XSetRoot;
 X11::Protocol::XSetRoot->set_background (color => 'green');
 # or given $X, but which then can't be used any more
 X11::Protocol::XSetRoot->set_background
                  (X       => $X,
                   pixmap  => $pixmap_xid,
                   pixmap_allocated_colors => 1);

DESCRIPTION¶

This module sets the X root window background in the style of the "xsetroot" program.

The simplest use is a named colour interpreted by the server's usual AllocNamedColor() or a 1 to 4 digit hex string like "#RRGGBB" or "#RRRRGGGGBBBB".

    X11::Protocol::XSetRoot->set_background
                               (color => 'green');
    X11::Protocol::XSetRoot->set_background
                               (color => '#FF0000'); # red

A pattern can be set with a pixmap. A pixmap the size of the screen can give a full background picture.

    # draw $pixmap with say $X->black_pixel and $X->white_pixel,
    # then set it with
    X11::Protocol::XSetRoot->set_background
                               (X      => $X,
                                pixmap => $pixmap);

set_background() takes ownership of the given $pixmap and frees it with FreePixmap() once put into the window background.

Setting the root to a pixmap drawn by a program is the main use for this module. If you just want a solid colour then that can be done easily enough with the actual "xsetroot" program.

    # AllocColor colours, draw $pixmap with them, then
    #
    X11::Protocol::XSetRoot->set_background
                               (X      => $X,
                                pixmap => $pixmap,
                                pixmap_allocated_colors => 1);
    # don't use $X any more

Virtual Root¶

"XSetRoot" looks for "__SWM_VROOT" using X11::Protocol::WM root_to_virtual_root() and acts on that when applicable. Such a virtual root is used by "amiwm", "swm" and "tvtwm" window managers and the "xscreensaver" program.

The enlightenment window manager, however, uses a background window covering the root window. This stops most root window programs from working, including XSetRoot here.

Esetroot¶

The "Esetroot" program and various compatible programs such as "fvwm-root" use a separate set of properties from what "xsetroot" uses. The "Esetroot" method records the root pixmap ready for use by programs such as "Eterm", eg. to implement pseudo-transparency (its "Eterm --trans", which the method was designed for).

The set_background() option "use_esetroot" uses the "Esetroot" style rather than the default "xsetroot" style. It can be used with the "pixel" or "color" options too and in that case set_background() makes a 1x1 pixmap to give a solid colour.

set_background() always deletes and kills (as appropriate) both the "xsetroot" and "Esetroot" properties since both are superseded by a new background.

For reference, to use "Eterm --trans" (as of its version 0.9.6 March 2011) an "Esetroot" background should be present when "Eterm" starts and it should not be removed later (and not set to "None"). "Eterm" won't notice an initial "Esetroot" while it's running. This means do an "Esetroot" before running "Eterm" and then do all future background changes in "Esetroot" style.

The advantage of the "Esetroot" method is that the root pixmap is available for client programs to use in creative ways. If the client draws some of the root pixmap as its own background then it can appear semi-transparent. This doesn't require the SHAPE extension and allows visual effects like shading or dithering too.

For comparison, the "xsetroot" style means the root pixmap is not available to client programs. In principle that allows the server to apply it to the hardware and never refer to it again. In practice that might not occur, for example if multiple console "virtual terminals" mean the server must give up the hardware when switched away.

FUNCTIONS¶

"X11::Protocol::XSetRoot->set_background (key=>value, ...)"

Set the root window background to a pixmap or colour. The key/value parameters are

    X        => X11::Protocol object
    display  => string ":0.0" etc
    screen   => integer, eg. 0
    root     => XID of root window
    color    => string
    pixel    => integer pixel value
    pixmap   => XID of pixmap to display, or "None"
    pixmap_allocated_colors => boolean, default false
    use_esetroot => boolean, default false
    

The server is given by an "X" connection object, or a "display" name to connect to, or the default is the "DISPLAY" environment variable.

The root window is given by "root" or "screen", or the default is the default screen in $X either per "$X->choose_screen()" or the default from the display name.

The background to show is given by a colour name, pixel value, or pixmap. "color" can be anything understood by the server AllocNamedColor(), plus 1 to 4 digit hex

    blue              named colours
    #RGB              hex digits
    #RRGGBB
    #RRRGGGBBB
    #RRRRGGGGBBBB
    

"pixel" is an integer pixel value in the root window colormap. It's automatically recognised as allocated or not (the screen pre-defined black or white and TOG-CUP reserved pixels are permanent and so reckoned not allocated).

"pixmap" is an XID integer. set_background() takes ownership of this pixmap and will FreePixmap() once installed. "None" or 0 means no pixmap, which gives the server's default root background (usually a black and white weave pattern).

"pixmap_allocated_colors" should be true if any of the pixels in "pixmap" were allocated with AllocColor() etc, as opposed to just the screen pre-defined black and white pixels (and any TOG-CUP permanent pixels).

"use_esetroot" means use the root window properties in the style of "Esetroot". This allows programs such as "Eterm" to use the root background for "pseudo-transparency" or in other creative ways.

When an allocated pixel or a pixmap with allocated pixels is set as the background the "_XSETROOT_ID" mechanism described above means the $X connection could be killed by another "xsetroot" at any time, perhaps immediately, and for that reason $X should not be used any more. The easiest way is to make set_background() the last thing done on $X.

Setting an allocated "pixel" or any "pixmap" can only be done on a $X connection as such, not with the "display" option. This is because retaining the colours with the "_XSETROOT_ID" mechanism can only be done from the client connection which created the resources, not a new separate client connection.

ROOT WINDOW PROPERTIES¶

"_XSETROOT_ID"

For "xsetroot", if colours in the root window background are allocated by AllocColor() etc then "_XSETROOT_ID" is a pixmap XID which can be killed by KillClient() to free those colours when the root background is replaced. "_XSETROOT_ID" is only a 1x1 dummy pixmap, it's not the actual root background pixmap.

"_XROOTPMAP_ID"

For "Esetroot" style, this is the current root window background pixmap. It might be set by an "Esetroot" which has run and exited, or it might be set by a window manager or similar which is still running.

Client programs can use this to combine the root background into their own window in interesting ways. Listen to "PropertyNotify" on the root window for changes to "_XROOTPMAP_ID". Note that this pixmap belongs to another client so it could be freed at any time. Protocol errors when copying or drawing from it should generally be ignored, or cause a fallback to some default.

"ESETROOT_PMAP_ID"

For "Esetroot" style, this is the same as "_XROOTPMAP_ID" if that pixmap was created by "Esetroot" and saved by SetCloseDownMode('RetainPermanent'). This should be freed by KillClient() if the background is replaced.

The specification <http://www.eterm.org/docs/view.php?doc=ref#trans> advises killing "ESETROOT_PMAP_ID" only when equal to "_XROOTPMAP_ID". Probably it's safer to always kill "ESETROOT_PMAP_ID" if replacing its value, to be sure of not leaking resources. But perhaps if both "ESETROOT_PMAP_ID" and "_XROOTPMAP_ID" exist then they are always equal.

ENVIRONMENT¶

"DISPLAY"

The default X server.

FILES¶

/etc/X11/rgb.txt on the server, being the usual colour names database for the "color" option above.

SEE ALSO¶

X11::Protocol, X11::Protocol::Ext::TOG_CUP

xsetroot(1), Esetroot(1), Eterm(1), fvwm-root(1)

<http://www.eterm.org/docs/view.php?doc=ref#trans> <http://www.eterm.org/doc/Eterm_reference.html#trans> <file:///usr/share/doc/eterm/Eterm_reference.html#trans>

See examples/view-root.pl for a simple program to display the root window contents.

HOME PAGE¶

<http://user42.tuxfamily.org/x11-protocol-other/index.html>

LICENSE¶

Copyright 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 Kevin Ryde

X11-Protocol-Other is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option) any later version.

X11-Protocol-Other is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with X11-Protocol-Other. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.